Like the person waiting for the upstairs neighbor to drop the other shoe,everyone is waiting for “The Explosion.” It was supposed to happen lastweek.
Every person in the Palestinian territories believes nowadays that nothingwill move without “The Explosion.” Israeli experts share this belief. Allare waiting for the bloodshed, like a farmer anticipating the autumn rain.The subject is discussed openly. No one knows when, how or where it willcome. Nobody knows what will be the precise final straw which will breakthe camel’s back. But everyone is certain that it will come — in thenext minute, in a month, at most in a year, with the declaration of thePalestinian State.
There was the same kind of anticipation of a revolt in the eighties, arevolt later known as the intifada. Then, too, no one knew preciselywhen, where or how. In the end it came as a result of an unintentionalroad accident near the Jabaliah refugee camp. 1,500 Palestinian dead,hundreds of Israeli dead. History.
In the current atmosphere, all it would take is the act of one foolishIsraeli soldier or one determined Palestinian to precipitate a hugebloodletting. Last week it almost happened.
Abd-el-Aziz Shaheen, nicknamed “Abu Ali,” does not look like anational hero. He is a refugee, a thin, bespectacled man, who looks morelike a schoolmaster. But he is the man who founded the “Shabeebah,” theFatah youth movement which carried the intifada on its back.
During his administrative detention (he was in prison altogether for 17years), a small group of Israelis and Palestinians, myself among them,demonstrated in front of his prison cell in the Gaza Strip. He was freedand expelled. Years later, during one of my visits in Tunis, I spent afew hours in his company. A riveting person, full of life and humor,incredibly sharp, and a real fighter.
Back then, after Oslo and before Arafat’s return to Gaza, Shaheen wasopposed to the Accords, which seemed to him like a Palestiniancapitulation to an Israeli diktat. He criticized Arafat harshly. Butwhen the Accords were signed, Shaheen understood that history was on thattrain and that one should be on board that train when it left the station.He came to Gaza and joined the process. In the elections to theLegislative Committee, he was the Fatah representative in the SouthernStrip region, winning by a landslide. Arafat, who does not hold grudges,nominated him for the post of Minister of Supplies.
There are those Palestinians who are enjoying the privileges of seniorposts in the government of a “state in the making.” They have quicklyadapted to a life of comfort after years of struggle, and generally theyare willing to come to an understanding with the nearby occupationofficers. Not Abu Ali. And so events developed as they did: A soldierblocked Minister Shaheen’s way, and the latter insisted on his rights. The
soldier summoned reinforcements, Shaheen summoned reinforcements, the roadwas blocked and both sides drew their weapons. It would have taken onesingle bullet discharged by either side (and who could later determinewhich side was at fault?) to start “the explosion”: dozens dead, hundredswounded, and from that moment on, the war would have spread throughout theland and possibly throughout the region.
This time, miraculously, it was prevented. Tomorrow, a day aftertomorrow, next month, it will not be prevented.
Lesson number one: The current situation is untenable. Only an utterfool would believe that this present state can be frozen indefinitely. NoPalestinian can reconcile himself to a situation in which the Israeliarmy, in the service of a handful of settlers, blocks a vital artery inthe heart of Palestinian territory. Every arbitrary act, such as this, ofa continuing arrogant occupation which harasses the Palestinians daily inhundreds of different ways, has the potential to ignite the conflagration.
Lesson number two: The dozens of settlements scattered throughout theterritories like landmines do not strengthen Israel’s security. Theyweaken it. Each settlement is a potential hostage — at any given time,the Palestinians can lay siege to it. On the other hand, each settlementcan drag the Israeli army, and the entire country into a war against itswill. This is why the “map of security interests”, submitted by the armygeneral staff to the Knesset, determined that there is no room for thesesettlements.
Lesson number three: President Ezer Weizman performed a national duty whenhe tore off the veil of deceit which conceals the truth. Netanyahu keepsrepeating the same lie, as if it is the Palestinians who are violating thepeace accords, while Netanyahu’s government is sticking to its everydetail. The President stated the simple truth: The Palestinians haveaccepted the U.S. plan, which is entirely based on Netanyahu’s owndemands, while Netanyahu has no intention whatsoever of accepting it. WereWeizman to help silence this fact (as do most of the media), he would havebetrayed his duty and responsibility to hundreds of people of both peopleswho will surely lose their lives in the impending “Explosion”.
The Gush Katif incident is a warning. It may be the last one.